D.G. YUENGLING & SON AND ARTSQUEST MAKE 2014 OKTOBERFEST AT STEELSTACKS FREE

When Oktoberfest presented by Yuengling gets underway Oct. 3, the festival will be free for the first time in its history thanks to the Pottsville-based D.G. Yuengling & Son.

As part of this year’s Oktoberfest presented by Yuengling, guests will find a number of new attractions and activities to enjoy and explore. These include a free Penn State-Michigan football game viewing party on the Levitt Pavilion Lawn Oct. 11, and a new craft brewers’ village presented by the Brewers of Pennsylvania at PNC Plaza at SteelStacks on both weekends. The festival is also adding pairing experiences featuring great German food and beverages, as well as a new Yuengling Oktoberfest 5k on Oct. 5. The 5k race has already attracted more than 2,000 entrants.

Friday, October 3
Crazy Hearts
5:30-9:30pm | FestHalle Tent
Crazy Hearts is one of the most popular country bands in the Lehigh Valley and Eastern Pennsylvania. Crazy Hearts’ high energy, heart pumpin’, foot stompin’ country music will have you singing along and dancing all night to the latest covers of George Strait, Alan Jackson, Miranda Lambert, Reba McEntire, and Taylor Swift to name a few.

Brosky/Meyer Band
6:00-8:30pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Lehigh Valley icon Steve Brosky teams up with Jimmy Meyer Extraordinaire (honorably mentioned in “the rock n’ roll hall of fame” with corporate band “The Difference”). From the very start they had “it”, call it chemistry, ying and yang or peanut butter and jelly…however you say it , “it’s” their’s!

The Remnants
9:00-11:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
The Remnants (previously known as Good Time Charlie) is a Blues/Garage/Rock band. Their motto is “Good People…Good Music….Good Time!”

Saturday, October 4

Chardon Polka Band
12:00-3:00pm | FestHalle Tent
The Chardon Polka Band’s own distinctive brand of oom-pah combines traditional with zany. While the group seeks to keep old time polka music alive, they do it with their own unique attitude and liveliness.

The BC Combo
12:00-3:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
The BC Combo is a highly respected group of singer-songwriters who bring their wealth of experience and passion to Blues, Jazz, Swing, Folk, R&B, Soul and more.

The Philadelphia German Brass Band
3:30-6:30pm | FestHalle Tent
Founded in 1935, the Philadelphia German Brass Band is dedicated to upholding the tradition and fostering the continued development of authentic German, Eastern European and American brass band music.

Common Bond
3:30- 7:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Common Bond entertains with a blend of hits from the ’60s to the present including disco, R&B, Motown and Swing.

The Mighty Manatees
7:00-10:00pm | FestHalle Tent
The Mighty Manatees are a group of musicians who play a style known as “dreadneck” music. It is a blend of country, blues, rock, and reggae.

Sunday, October 5

Polkadelphia
10:30am-12:00pm | FestHalle Tent
Not your ordinary oompah band, Polkadelphia plays both traditional oompah tunes as well as modern cover songs by artists like Radiohead and the Beatles.

Ricky Smith & the Crush
12:00-2:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Ricky Smith & The Crush plays a great variety of dance music from Buddy Holly to Green Day, The Stray Cats and more. Ricky brings spirits back to life with his Stevie Ray Vaughan, Jimi Hendrix styles.

The Polka Brothers
12:30-4:30pm | FestHalle Tent
The Polka Brothers are a four man band of young polka lovers, out to spread the joy of polka, one wild party at a time.

The GTV Almrausch Schuhplattlers
Playing during The Polka Brothers set breaks
Based in Philadelphia, the G.T.V. Almrausch is one of the oldest Schuhplattler Vereine in North America.

Andrew Portz Band
2:30-4:30pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Andrew Portz has captured the sounds of today’s most adventurous indie pop rock and Americana’s purest songwriting traditions to put fouth a sound that will take you back…and lead you forward.

M80
5:00-8:00pm | FestHalle Tent
An energetic mix of Modern-Dance, Pop & Rock covers with THE VERY BEST OF THE 80’s smash hits to keep crowds singing and dancing

Swift Technique
5:00-8:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Swift Technique, based in Philly, strives to push the musical boundaries in the current music scene. Through the fusion of funk, soul and rock, Swift Technique can be enjoyed collectively by all people. With hard grooves and soulful hooks, Swift Tech will have everyone up and dancing.

Friday, October 10

Alex Meixner Band
5:30-9:30pm | FestHalle Tent
The Alex Meixner band is equally at home playing a traditional Oktoberfest or amped up Rocktoberfest while also having the ability to meld into a swinging jazz combo, gypsy world-beat band, authentic European folk ensemble or smoking zydeco-blues group at the drop of a hat

Wild Adriatic
9:00-11:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Wild Adriatic is a dynamic rock and soul trio from Upstate New York, crafting a powerful yet subtle sound rooted in the basics of American rock and soul music. With a compellingly honest and raw live show, the band has been successfully making friends and fans across the country since January 2011.

Saturday, October 11

John Stevens’ Doubleshot
12:00-3:00pm | FestHalle Tent
John Stevens’ Doubleshot is a polka band that can mix up their music to fit any occasion.

Dina Hall and Christine Havrilla
12:00-3:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Dina Hall is an award-winning singer/songwriter who recently released “Logic and the Heart” – a stunning album that blends folk/rock and Americana instrumentation with intimately powerful vocals. Christine Havrilla, a Philadelphia native, who has six studio albums, three EPs, and over a decade of touring under her belt, continues to venture out under “Christine Havrilla & Gypsy Fuzz”, showcasing ALL of her music with new twists.

The Apple Strudel Gang
3:30-6:30pm | FestHalle Tent
The Apple Strudel Gang is an authentic German band with a bit of the American Songbook thrown in.

The GTV Almrausch Schuhplattlers
Playing during The Apple Sturdel Gang’s set breaks
Based in Philadelphia, the G.T.V. Almrausch is one of the oldest Schuhplattler Vereine in North America.

Call Your Mama
3:30-6:30pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
This 7-member band covers a wide variety of pop/rock and dance music.

Igor and the Red Elvises
7:00-10:00pm | FestHalle Tent
Siberian surf “rokenrol” that has been conquering the hearts of screaming fans all over the world for more than 15 years.
The Whiskey Uproar
7:00-10:00pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
The Whiskey Uproar takes your modern alternative songs and naturally brings a powerful rocking sound and performance. Powerful vocals, heavy hitting drums, soulful melodies, and groovy rhythms are things you will notice that will make you want to get up, dance, and sing along with this band.

Sunday, October 12

Fritz’s Polka Band
12:00-3:30pm | FestHalle Tent
Jagermeister-sponsored Fritz’s Polka Band plays everything from modern-style polka to country to rock and even blues, resulting in an eclectic mix of musical styles.

Friday’s Child
12:00-2:30pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
Friday’s Child is a New Jersey-based rock band that formed in the late 1990s.

Billy Bauer Band
3:00-5:30pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
With a sound like the Goo Goo Dolls and Dave Matthews Band, this group has opened for Uncle Kracker and O.A.R.

The Uptown Band
4:00-8:00pm | FestHalle Tent
An explosive, melodic and grooving mix of Jazz, Funk, Rock, and Pop.

The Romantic Era
6:00-7:30pm | TD Bank Community Stage on the Air Products Town Square
A pop rock band from Pennsylvania, The Romantic Era has won multiple awards, sold thousands of albums, and rocked hundreds of stages.